2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG: power boost for sleek four-door

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG range will benefit from the same mechanical enhancements as its E63 AMG counterpart when it launches overseas in the second quarter of this year.

The rear-wheel-drive Mercedes CLS63 AMG upgrades to the new 410kW/720Nm tune of the 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 shared with the upcoming 2013 E-Class performance flagship, with its additional 24kW and 20Nm improving the sleek four-door’s sprint time by two-tenths to 4.2 seconds (4.3sec for the Shooting Brake). Despite the added performance, combined cycle fuel consumption also improves one-tenth to 9.9 litres per 100km.

Like the updated E63 AMG, there will also be two new all-wheel-drive variants of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG: one with the standard engine output, and one a high-performance ‘S-Model’ with 430kW and 800Nm. The 410kW AWD model is half a second quicker than the rear-driver to triple figures, while the S-Model shaves another tenth off that time, stopping the clock at 3.6sec.

Unfortunately – as is the case for the updated E63 AMG – the all-paw variants will only be produced in left-hand drive, putting them off the table for Australian customers. Mercedes-Benz Australia corporate communications manager Jerry Stamoulis confirmed the rear-wheel-drive models would arrive in Australia towards the end of the year. The second-gen CLS63 AMG sedan launched locally in June 2011, while the pre-update Shooting Brake variant is set to arrive in May.

The Mercedes CLS63 AMG will otherwise remain the same both in terms of design and equipment. Pricing is expected to remain on par with or close to its current level, which starts at $263,500 for the sedan.